Yarn heater system



July 30, 1963 c. G. EVANS 3,099,065

YARN HEATER SYSTEM Original Filed April 11, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. CYRIL G. EVANS ATTORNEY July 30, 1963 c. G. EVANS 3,099,065 YARN HEATER SYSTEM Original Filed April 11, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CYRIL G. EVANS July 30, 1963 C. G. EVANS 099 0 5 YARN HEATER SYSTEM Original Filed April 11, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1. INVENTOR. H CYRIL G.EVANS ATTORNEY July so, 1963 EVANS 3,099,065

YARN HEATER SYSTEM Original Filed April 11, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. CYRIL G. EVANS 3,099,065 YARN HEATER SYSTEM Cyril G. Evans, Spartanburg, S.C., msignor to Deering Miiliiteu Research Corporation, partanhurg, .C., a corportaticn of Delaware Original application Apr. ll, 1957, Ser. No. 652,153, now Patent No. 3,028,654, dated Apr. 10, 1952. Divided and this application Oct. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 148,895

9 Claims. (Cl. 28-62) This invention relates to a yarn heater system which can be used in apparatus for the manufacture of crinkled or coiled yarns having an elastic nature. This applicaon IS :a division of application S.N. 652,153, filed April 11, 1957, now US. Patent No. 3,028,654, which is a continuation-in-part of application S.N. 630,325, now US. Patent No. 3,028,653.

An early type of apparatus for elasticizing yarns by passing the same through a sharply angular path under tension is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,919,534. In US. Patent No. 2,992,358, there is disclosed an improved form of apparatus which employs a rotary heater to heat the yarn. A problem associated with prior apparatus employing a roll type heater has been that of insulating the heater to hold heat losses to a satisfactory level while at the same time maintaining the surface of the roll at a uniform selected temperature. It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improved yarn heater roll and improved means for retaining the yarn engaging surface of said roll at a uniform selected temperature with low heat losses.

The above, as well as other objects of the invention, are acocmplished by a yarn heater system as described hereinafter.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of an apparatus incorporating a yarn heating system according to this invention showing principal parts in location;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of a portion of the apparatus schematically illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 of the drawings;

FIGURE 4 is a front view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 2 with parts shown broken away and in section to illustrate details of construction; and

FIGURE 5 is a front view of another portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 2 with parts broken away and in section.

With reference to the drawings in greater detail and with particular reference to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral 19 generally indicates one of a plurality of conventional supply means for furnishing, in each instance, an end of yarn 11. While a single position apparatus according to this invention can readily be constructed, it is an advantage that the apparatus is well adapted for multiple unit construction, and in all but FIGURE 1 of the drawings, portions of two or more positions of a multiple unit apparatus are illustrated. Corresponding parts of the two or more positions are, in most instances, correspondingly numbered except that for clarity prime numerals have been employed.

The yarn supply means it} is here illustrated as comprising a yarn supply package 12 supported by a spindle 13 extending from a support member l4. The yarn is passed through eyes 17 and 18 of guide means 16 and then through a first eye 19 of a double yarn guide 20 to a duplex yarn advancing means, generally indicated by the reference numeral 22. From the yarn advancing Patented July 3%, 1963 means 22 the yarn 11 passes to one component portion of a rotary heater system, generally indicated by the reference numeral 24, and about the edge 25 of a blade member 26 to one position of a rotary guide system, generally indicated by the reference numeral 2'7. From guide system 27 the yarn 11 passes about one component position of an oiling system, generally indicated by the reference numeral 28, through a second guide eye 29 of yarn guide 2% and back to the yarn advancing means 22. From the yarn advancing means 22 the yarn 11 then pasess about a guide roll or pulley 3t) and through a pigtail guide 31 to a yarn take-up means 32, illustrated as comprising a conventional ring and traveler array.

The duplex yarn advancing means 22 comprises a housing 33 which serves as a suport for yarn guide 20 and which is secured to a support member 34 by bolts 35, only one of which is illustrated. Extending from one side of the housing 33 is a duplex roll 36 having a first portion 37 and a second portion 38 which generally is of smaller diameter than portion 37. Roll 36 is keyed to a first stub shaft 4t) which is journaled for rotation through one wall of housing 33, and keyed to a second stub shaft 41, also journaled for rotation through the wall of housing 33, is a second duplex roll 42 having portions 44 and 46 corresponding to portions 3'7 and 38 or roll 36. Rolls 36 and 42 are driven in timed relationship to each other through shafts 4t and 43; by means of conventional gears, not illustrated, within housing 33, and these gears in turn are driven from a drive shaft 50.

The yarn advancing means 22 is provided with a conventional knockoff device, not illustrated, within housing 33 and a start-01f control 52 which can be employed to temporarily inactivate the knockoff device. Start-off control 52 is spring biased so that it normally does not inactivate the knockofi device but when the control is depressed, it inactivates the knockoff device for such time as pressure on the control is maintained. Normal operation of the knockoff device is eifected by two different means, one of which comprises an arm 54- which extends from housing 33 and which carries the yarn guide pulley 3%) on its unsupported end. The pulley 3t) serves to guide an end of yarn from the yarn advancing means 22 to the take-up means 32, as previously explained, and the tension in the yarn normally serves to move arm 54 against the force of a biasing means, not illustrated, so that the arm 54 is retained out of effective relationship with the knockoff means. In the event of yarn breakage, the arm 54 is moved by the biasing means to effectively engage the knockolf means and to thereby stop the rotation of rolls 36 and 42. The second means acting to operate the knockoff device will be subsequently described.

The rotary heater system 24 comprises a tubular drive shaft 56, preferably formed of a metal, such as copper, having a relatively high heat conductivity (i.e. above about 0.2 calories per second at C.). The drive shaft 56 is journaled for rotation and means, not illustrated, are provided for driving shaft 56 at a fixed rate relative to the rate of rotation of shaft 50 and relative to the rate of rotation of rolls 36 and 42 when the latter are in normal operation. Means are also provided for heating the drive shaft 56 and while the heating means may take any suitable form, it is here illustrated as comprising a plurality of tubular electrical heaters 58 and 58' which are connected in series by means of a conductor 59. The electrical heaters 58 and 58 are positioned internally of tubular shaft 56 in thermal contact therewith so that the shaft 56 is heated by conduction when heaters 53 and 5:3 are supplied with electrical energy from any suit-able source, not illustrated.

Carried by shaft 56 are a plurality of yarn heater rolls 6i) and 60'. Heater rolls 6% and 60' are designed to heat an end of yarn in contact with the peripheral surface escapee thereof and are preferably also made of a metal, such as copper, having a relatively high thermal conductivity so that heat is readily transferred by conduction from shaft 56 to an end of yarn in contact with the peripheral surface of the roll. When the rolls 6th and 6d are made from copper or the like, it is generally advantageous to provide them with a chromium plated surface to prevent oxidation and corrosion. To assist in heat transfer from shaft 56 to the peripheral faces of rolls es and 6t) and to reduce heat loss, these rolls are preferably of a tapered configuration so that the length through the bore of the rolls is greater than the face width thereof. Best results are generally achieved when the length through the bore is several, for example 2 to 20, times the face width of the rolls, and when the face width of the rolls is substantially the minimum necessary to accommodate a yarn guide groove such as is indicated by the reference numerals 62 and 62). A peripheral yarn guide groove is necessary when the face Width of rolls 6t) and 60 is very small to prevent the yarn from possibly wandering off the face of the roll and such a groove also serves to eliminate the necessity of guide means positioned in the yarn path between roll 36 and roll 6% To provide for thermal expansion of shaft 56, this shaft is preferably built with a plurality of expansion joints, one of which is illustrated and indicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 64 (see FIGURE 4). These expansion joints can suitably take the form of a sleeve 65 circumscribing a discontinuity, indicated by the reference numeral 66, in shaft 56. One end of sleeve 65 is firmly secured to the shaft 56 by means of a set screw 67 and the other end of sleeve 65 is keyed to a shaft 56 by means of a key 68 which permits longitudinal movement of the portion of shaft 56 on one side of the discontinuity 66 relative to sleeve 65 while insuring that the portions of shaft 56 on either side of the discontinuity '66 rotate as a unit.

Circumscribing shaft 56 in spaced relationship therewith and extending between adjacent rolls tiii and 60' is a sleeve member 7t preferably formed from a metal, such as stainless steel, having a relatively low heat conductivity (i.e., :below about 0.2 calories per second at 100 C.). The sleeve 70 is supported at either end by a pair of annular flanges 72 and 76 extending from the opposite side surfaces of rolls 6% and as (FTGURE 4 of the drawings). Preferably the sleeve '76 is firmly secured to one of the flanges 72 or '73 by any suitable means, and, in this instance, sleeve 70 is secured to flange 72 by set screws 74, only one of which is illustrated, while the other end of the sleeve '70 is free to slide upon its supporting flange 73. At least one end of the sleeve 79 must be unsecured to its supporting flange since the sleeve 70 will normally be made from a different material than shaft 56 and will normally be at a different temperature than shaft 56 so that it will not undergo the same degree of thermal expansion when the heating means is placed in operation.

Circumscribing sleeve 76 in spaced relationship therewith is a metal housing 76 which extends between rolls 64) and 69' and preferably covers these rolls up to the edges of the peripheral faces thereof. The housing 76 is preferably formed of two separable parts 77 and 7S and the lower part 78 is provided with a support base 79 which is firmly secured to a support member 3t? by any suitable means, such as bolts 81. To provide additional rigidity, a brace 82. extends from between housing 76 and support member hit to a second support member 84 which in turn is supported by a plurality of uprights $5, only one of which is shown.

Since the expansion joint 64 cannot readily provide complete rigidity, and since shaft 56 is preferably several yards long, it is usually advantageous to provide additional support for the shaft at spaced intervals along its length corresponding to the points at which expansion joints are provided. F or this purpose, there is positioned intermediate sleeve 70 and housing 76 an antifriction hearing, such as ball bearing 86. The inner race of bearing 8-5 is rigidly secured to sleeve 74 and the outer race is secured in fixed relationship to the inner face of tubular housing 76 to prevent longitudinal movement of sleeve iii relative to housing '76. This arrangement is advantageous when shaft 56 is provided with a plurality of expansion joints since by virtue of sleeve 70 being secured at one end to a portion of shaft 5-6 through flange 72, it is impossible for this portion of the shaft 56, even if it lies between two expansion joints, to move longitudinally to thereby throw roll 6t), and other rolls, not illustrated, carried by this portion of the shaft, out of proper alignment.

Since sleeve 7!) is spaced from shaft 56, it is normally at a lower temperature than shaft 55 and if the sleeve 79 is formed of a material with a relatively low thermal conductivity, the central portions of sleeve 7t) will normally be at a much lower temperature than shaft 56. Therefore, sleeve it? not only serves to reduce the heat loss from shaft 56, but also serves to provide a relatively cool support for bearing 86 so that it is not necessary for the bearing to be operated at undesirably high temperatures. The housing 7s also serves to reduce the heat loss from shaft 56 and from rolls 60 and 6t), and to further reduce the heat loss, it is generally advantageous to insert insulating material, as illustrated at 38 and 89 in the drawings, in the spaces between sleeve 70 and housing 7 6 on either side of bearing 86.

It is generally not necessary to provide expansion joints in shaft 56 between each pair of adjacent rolls and when no expansion joint is present between a pair of rolls, it is not necessary to provide additional support for the shaft bet-ween these two rolls. To reduce the heat loss, however, it is generally advantageous to provide a sleeve corresponding to sleeve 74} between each pair of adjacent rolls, except that in instances where such a sleeve does not serve as a bearing support, it need not be secured at either end to its supporting flanges. Portions of two such sleeves are illustrated in the drawings and are indicated by the reference numerals 9G and 96'. It is also generally advantageous to provide housings, generally corresponding to housing 76, between adjacent rolls even when there is no expansion joint in shaft 56 between the rolls, and portions of two such housings are illustrated in the drawings and indicated by the reference numerals 92 and 92', formed of two separable parts 94 and 96 with the lower parts 96 provided with support bases 98, secured to support member 8h by bolts 1%, which serve as cover and support for layers of insulating material 102 and &2.

The rotary guide system 27 comprises a shaft 164 which carries a plurality of rolls 1% and 106. A tubular housing 108 covers the shaft 104 between rolls 166 and 1% and serves as an outer support for an anti-friction bearing flit (see FIGURE 5 of the drawings) through which shaft 104 is journaled. Housing 108 comprises two separable parts 111 and 112, with part 111 being formed integrally with part 77 of housing 76, and with part 112 being formed integrally with part 78 of housing 76. Tubular housings 114 and 114, generally corresponding to housing 108, are provided for shaft 1% between roll positions where no bearing support is provided.

The oiling system 28 generally comprises a shaft 117 journaled through a bearing 113 carried by a dependent support member 119 secured to the base of housing 1% by screws 12% and 122 (see FIGURE 5 of the drawings). The shaft 117 carries a plurality of oiling rolls 124 and 124', generally aligned with the rolls 1% and M56, which extend into a reservoir trough 126 secured along one edge to the support member 8-9. The reservoir trough 126 is adapted to be filled with a lubricant to a level sufficient to contact the lower peripheral edge of rolls 124- and 12 i and means, not illustrated, are provided for rotating shaft 118 so that an end of yarn assing in contact with the surface of rolls 124 and 124' is lubricated by contact therewith.

The blade 26 is held in position by a blade holder assembly, generally indicated by 128, which comprises a pivotable first arm 130 secured to support member 132 by pivot 134 threaded to receive a screw member 136 whose lower extremity 138 rests on housing 92'. (FIGURE 4 illustrates an alternate assembly 128' in which screw 136 rests on housing 76.) Look nut 140 holds arm 130 in position.

The unsupported end of arm .130 is bent so that a terminal portion 142 thereof extends generally parallel to the axis of rotation of shaft 56 and the terminal portion 142 is fitted into a suitable bore in a support block 144. Support block 144 is secured in position relative to arm 130 by a set screw 146 which extends through one wall of the block 144 and engages portion 142 of the arm. A bifurcated member 148 having arms 150 and 152 is secured to the top of block 144 by screws 153, and the arms 150 and 152 are provided, in each instance, with a bore which is aligned with a bore in block 144. A second mm 154 extends through the aligned bores in member 148 and block 144 and is supported by a nut 155 which is positioned between the arms of member 148 and which threadably engages the upper portion of arm 154. Arm 154 extends downwardly from block 144 and is provided on its lower extremity with spring clamp 156 which secures blade member 26 such that its edge 25 is operatively positioned proximate the peripheral surface of roll 60-.

Extending from arm 130 adjacent pivot 134 is an arm member 160 provided with an eye 162 on its unsupported end. An elongated rod 164, which is connected at its lower end to the kno ck-off means in yarn advancing means 22, extends upwardly through eye 162 and is provided at its upper end with a nut 166 of larger diameter than the eye 162.

In operation, an end of Yarn from supply package '12 is threaded through guide 16 and through eye 19 of guide 20 and is wrapped about portions 37 and 44 of rolls 36 :and 42 at least a sufiicient number of turns to prevent slippage. With the blade holding means 128 pivoted to an inoperative position, the yarn 11 is then drawn over rolls 60, 106 and 124 and through eye 29 of guide 20. The yarn end 11 is then wrapped at least a sufi'lcient number of turns about portions 38 and 46 of rolls 36 and 42 to prevent slippage, is passed over roll 30 through guide 31 and to the take-up means 32. With heater 58 in operation so that the surface temperature of roll 60 is at a proper level and with the various drive means in operation, start-off control 52 is then depressed to place duplex yarn advancing means 22 in operation. When the yarn is being advanced along its path at a proper rate, blade member 26 is then lowered into operative position.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a yarn processing apparatus, the combination which comprises a rotatable shaft, means to heat said shaft, a plurality of roll members carried by said shaft, an annular flange extending from opposed side surfaces of two adjacent roll members, a sleeve member extending between said two adjacent roll members, said sleeve memher being supported at either end by said flanges, and a stationary housing circumscribing said sleeve member in spaced relationship therewith.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sleeve member is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity which is low relative to the thermal conductivity of said shaft and said roll members.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a tube of heat insulating material disposed between said sleeve member and said housing.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a bearing member disposed between said housing and said sleeve member to facilitate rotation of said sleeve member.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said shaft is provided with an expansion joint intermediate said two adjacent rolls.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including means to secure said sleeve member to one of said two adjacent roll members to prevent relative movement therebetween.

7. In a yarn processing apparatus, the combination which comprises a rotatable shaft, means to heat said shaft, a plurality of roll members carried by said shaft, an annular flange extending from opposed side surfaces of two adjacent roll members, a sleeve member extending between said two adjacent roll members, said sleeve member being supported at either end by said flanges, a stationary housing circumscribing said sleeve member in spaced relationship therewith, a bearing member disposed between said housing and said sleeve member to facilitate rotation of said sleeve member, an expansion joint intermediate said two adjacent rolls and means to secure said sleeve member to one of said two adjacent roll members to prevent relative movement therebetween.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said sleeve member is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity which is low relative to the thermal conductivity of said shaft and said roll members.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 including a tube of heat insulating material disposed between said sleeve member and said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 796,230 Lehman Aug. 1, 1905 2,777,931 Bundegaard et al. Ian. 15, 1957 2,977,663 Evans Apr. 4, 1961 3,020,383 Tsuneo Onishi et a1 Feb. 6, 1962 

1. IN A YARN PROCESSING APPARATUS, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES A ROTATABLE SHAFT, MEANS TO HEAT SAID SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF ROLL MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT AN ANNULAR FLANGE EXTENDING FROM OPPOSED SIDE SURFACES OF TWO ADJACENT ROLL MEMBERS, A SLEEVE MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TWO ADJACENT ROLL MEMBERS, SAID SLEEVE MEMBER BEING SUPPORTED AT EITHER END BY SAID FLANGES, AND A STATIONARY HOUSING CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID SLEEVE MEMBER IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH. 